That's a great question, without a simple answer. In Pennsylvania, under the Workers' Compensation Act, there is no such thing as permanent or total disability. One thing is certain -- your employer and its insurance carrier can almost never unilaterally stop paying your benefits once they begin. While there are limited exceptions to this rule, if your checks are cut off, you should immediately consult an attorney.

In terms of benefits, the law uses phrases such as "total temporary disability" or "partial permanent disabilty" benefits, and each claim is different. For example, most injured workers miss only a few days of work and return to work at full duty without any further problems. Others may miss weeks, months, or years before returning to work. The last group -- injured workers who can never go back to the jobs they had before getting hurt -- have the most complex claims. Some will receive workers' compensation benefits for the rest of their lives, others will settle their claims and live off of the settlement for the remainder of their lives, while others may have their benefits limited by an Impairment Rating Examination (IRE) or because of other vocational considerations. In each case, however, the injured worker will almost certainly benefit from the advice of an attorney who understands the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act.

If you would like to speak with Dan Siegel, you can call (610) 446-3457 or send an email, and Dan will respond promptly. For workers' compensation matters, all matters are handled on a contingent fee basis, which means that you never pay Dan Siegel a fee unless he gets you benefits or successfully prevents your employer from stopping your benefits. Give Dan Siegel a call at (610) 446-3457 or send an email.